BAM’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM EXHIBITION FEATURES TWO NEEMA BARNETTE FILMS IN CELEBRATION.

﻿​

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) recently announced its “One Way or Another: Black Women’s Cinema, 1970–1991” exhibition in February, in celebration of Black history month. According to the exhibit’s website, this event was designed to honor the “black women directors who blazed the trail for that landmark film.”

﻿​

Two of thefirst films in BHMD’s executive producer Neema Barnette expensive filmcareer, will be featured along with an impressive list of Black women filmmakers and director, pioneers. One of the oldest performing arts institutions, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance, presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in 1908. Today, BAM has a reputation as a leader in presenting "cutting edge" performance and has grown into an urban arts center which focuses on both international arts presentation and local community needs. Kicking off the 20day retrospective we'll be the exhibition that commemorates the theatrical and Blu-ray release of Julie Dash’s"Daughters of the Dust”.

﻿​

First to screen is “Zora is My Name!”, directed by Neemascreening on Febuary 7, 2017 features an all-star cast that includes the great Ruby Dee, who scripted and stars as Zora Neale Hurston, Lynn Whitfield, Louis Gossett Jr., Paula Kelly, Roger Mosley,Beah Richards, Oscar Brown Jr, and Flip Wilson are in this fascinating tribute to visionary writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston.

﻿​

Next will be the showing of “Sky Captain”, Barnette’s debut film, on Feb 15, 2017. The 1985 hip-hop-infused South Bronx fantasy tackles issues of teenage suicide and single parenting.

﻿​

“One Way or Another” features a variety of film (long-form, short-form, documentary, narrative, and animation) and explores a wide cross-section of topics, especially those specific to black women’s culture, including body image, identity, the role church plays, the complexities of black hair, color-ism, representation in the media, Zora Neale Hurston’s work, and black feminism.

﻿​

Screenings of “Daughters of the Dust” will kick-off the event on February 3. Other films to screen include Dash’s shorts (“Standing at the Scratch Line,” “Four Women,” “Illusions,” and “Praise House”) and Euzhan Palcy’s “Sugar Cane Alley.”